It is with sadness we report the passing of Dr. Danita Berg, assistant professor of communications and humanities and chair of online liberal studies in the School of Arts and Communication. Her warmth and compassion touches those around her, from colleagues and students to friends, family and her beloved pet dogs.
Dr. Berg passed away Thursday, April 23 at age 54.
“We will remember her for her kindness, humor, compassion and devotion to her fur babies,” College of Psychology and Liberal Arts Interim Dean Lisa Steelman told colleagues in a note. “Her passion for creative writing and steadfast dedication to our online curriculum has impacted our programs and the many students she served.”
One need not look beyond Dr. Berg’s academic history to see a throughline of words written and read, edited and pondered. From 1994 to 2010, Dr. Berg earned a bachelor’s degree in journalism (Ball State), a master’s degree in English (University of South Florida), a Master of Fine Art’s degree in creative writing (Goddard College), and lastly a Ph.D. in English (USF).
As Dr. Berg grew as a writer, she worked to also develop her skills at imparting that knowledge. In 2004 she began on the composition/creative writing faculty at Eckerd College, where she created and implemented multiple courses. She later established and launched USF’s Sarasota-Manatee campus writing center.
She taught from 2009-2012 at Oklahoma City University and then spent seven years at Full Sail University in Winter Park, where she served as chair and director of the English department. Her work implementing 21st-century learning strategies, including process-based learning, boosted overall pass rates by 10%.
Among her work outside of the classroom, Dr. Berg was a Founding Member of the Creative Writing Studies Organization. The group marks its 10th anniversary this year.
Dr. Berg arrived at Florida Tech in November 2019 as an assistant professor, where she remained at the time of her passing.
“She was a valued member of our team, and she will be missed,” Steelman said. Details on services were not yet available.
